Our Organization

The Motor City Freedom Riders is a democratic and member-led organization of bus riders and our allies.

Members pay annual dues to the organization and elect the Board from among themselves. We have several levels of dues to ensure that we are open to everyone regardless of their ability to pay. Our base annual membership rate is $1.50, the cost of a single DDOT bus fare. We also have a solidarity membership for $25 per year and a sustaining membership for $100 per year. You can become a member here.

The Board guides the overall strategic direction of the organization, oversees the organization’s finances, and supervises the organizer. There are nine seats on the Board, a majority of which must be held by bus riders. Board elections are held in March.

We operate as a unified regional membership, but also organize through local county committees. There is a county committee for Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, and Wayne, which also meets as the City of Detroit Committee and the Suburban Wayne Committee. These local committees direct our local transit campaigns and pressure their own local elected leadership.

There are three other committees tasked with important organizational roles. The Media Committee manages our website, social media, graphic design, press releases, and media contacts. The Finance Committee directs our fundraising, grant-writing, and treasury activities. The Research Committee works on various research projects related to our transit organizing: power-mapping, policy proposals, etc. You can sign up for any of these committees through our membership form.

We have monthly general membership meetings the first Thursday of every month at the Isaac Agree Synagogue in downtown Detroit from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. All are welcome!